61 cases of E. coli linked to local fair right here in Clevland County.
State health officials said Wednesday that the number of E. coli cases linked to the Cleveland County Fair has climbed to 61.
They reported that 36 children and 23 adults are known to have been affected by the outbreak. Ages for two additional individuals were not available, officials said.
The N.C. Division of Health and Human Resources said Wednesday that 11 victims have required hospital treatment.
Two-year-old Gage Lefevers of Gastonia died of complications from the bacterial illness, which is spread most commonly from animals to humans. Funeral services for the child were held Wednesday.
Cleveland County Health Department staff members have questioned more than 100 people who attended the fair, trying to determine why some people were sickened while others remained healthy.
The Observer’s news partner, WCNC-TV, has quoted a local health official who said investigators were looking at the petting zoo as a possible source of the illness.
The disease typically is spread from animals and animal waste to humans. According to a report in the Shelby Star, health officials were gaining confidence that food vendors were not the source.
Fair officials have said they had nine hand-washing stations in place – more than the five that were required by state law.
The disease has an incubation period of up to 10 days. Since Wednesday marked the 10th day after the fair closed, health officials hope the increase in number of cases will wane. However, they warn a secondary wave of cases is possible from human-to-human contact.
Meanwhile, the parents of a Shelby boy infected by E. coli at last year’s N.C. State Fair say they plan to take legal action, according to their lawyer.
Hunter Talent, who is now 3, was among 27 children and adults who contracted E. coli at the 2011 N.C. State Fair.
Shelby lawyer Sean Cobourn said Wednesday the parents contend the state was aware of the E. coli problem since 2004 “and didn’t take any corrective action … this was entirely preventable.
